Electrical storage battery.



No. 718,045. 1 PATENTBD JAN. 6, 1903.

V r H. 11.19. BARHAM. ELECTRICAL STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2. 1901.

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UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KINGSFORD PADWIGK BARHAM, OF PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND.

ELECTRICAL STO RAG E BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 718,045, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,489. No model.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KINGSFORD PAD- WICK BARHAM, electrical engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of 60 Fratton road, Portsmouth, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Electrical Storage Batteries, (for which I have applied for a complete patent in Great Britain, No. 13, 984, bearing date July 9, 1901, which has been filed,

, but not yet sealed,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved construction of electrical storage batteries, whereby the buckling of the plates will be obviated and a reliable accumulator of electrical energy obtained.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, 1 have appended a sheet of drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cell of my improved construction, and Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the folded lead electrodes and tray.

In constructing the cell in accordance with my invention a number of strips of sheet-lead or other suitable metal, such as shownin Fig. 2, are employed, one arranged above the'other in vertical alinement, as shown in Fig. 1. Each strip of sheet-lead is formed into a tray A at its middle portion,with folded extensions at its ends, the extension B 0 being adapted to fold within the'tray and the extension D E adapted to fold beneath the tray. Between all of the contiguous surfaces of the folding extensions and the trays areinterposed sheets of absorbent or porous material F, such as blotting-paper, unsized paper, asbestos, and the like. 4

In setting up the cell I coat the inside of the tray A and also the folding extension 13 G of each strip with an oxid of lead,eitl1er PbO or PbO and place the absorbent sheets '13, saturated with anelectrolyte, preferably diluted sulfuric acid, in position, as described, and mount the pile on supporting-strips G within a closed casing H, connecting the top strip, which has only the bottom of the tray and the extension D E, by means of a conductor I to one binding-post K and connecting the bottom strip, which has only the tray and extension B O, by means of a conductor L to a second binding-post M, and the cell is complete and ready for charging. However, I may vary the construction by also coating the bottom of the tray and the extension D E of each strip with plumbic monoxid in order to assist the reduction to spongy lead on these parts.

In the following explanation the upper part of the strip will be understood to mean the interior of the tray A and the extension B C, while the lower part will be understood to mean the bottom of the tray and the extension D E.

The electrolyte being held within the abjsorbent sheets F it does not form a medium for electrical connection between the top and bottom strips except as assisted by each of the strips in series, and the electrical current is compelled to travel from strip to strip through the interposed electrolyte and coatings N, the upper part of'one strip acting as one electrode and. thelower part of the strip next above acting as the other electrode to constitute an electrolytic cell unit or couple.

The tray A serves as a'receptacle to catch any free electrolyte of the couple of which it is a part and hold it until absorbed by the sheets F. Thus the pile is not drained to any degree by gravity, as might be the case without these trays.-

The casing H being closed there is practically no loss by evaporation.

By this construction the battery is capable of very rapid charging and discharging without the possibility of buckling, and the compact arrangement of the strips avoids unnecessary weight of' inactive materials.

Having fully described myinvention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, a series of strips of metal each folded upon itself with saturated absorbent material between the folds thereof, and forming a tray intermediate the ends thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, a strip of sheet metal formed into a tray with folded extensions at the ends thereof, one folded extension adapted to lie within the tray and the other folded extension adapted absorbent material located between all conto lie beneath the tray. tignous surfaces of the strips. 10 3. In a device of the character described, a In witness whereof I have hereunto set my series of superimposed strips of sheet metal, hand in the presence of two witnesses.

5 each being formed into a tray With a folded HENRY KINGSFORD PADWICK BARHAM.

extension at each end, one extension adapted Witnesses: to lie Within the tray and the other extension W. J. MAIN,

adapted to lie beneath the tray,.and sheets of A. W. SMITH. 

